The History of the South Saskatchewan Lily Society

Courtesy of Agnes Beingessner - Regina, Saskatchewan

The idea of forming an association to interest people in the growing of lilies for enjoyment, comes I believe, because humans by nature have a compelling desire to share their joy with others. But an idea and a vision are not conceived and nurtured in a vacuum. They have their origin both in nature, God's wonderful gift, and in the achievements of dedicated pioneers. When as a child, I was delighted by the Clumps of L. philadelphicum var. adinum or the Prairie Lily as we called it, growing in pastures and along roadsides, the captivating image of their unique beauty remained even after their disappearance due to the destruction of their natural habitat. This experience however was not to be the end of my connection with the genus Lilium. You can imagine my excitement when the news reached "Prairie" people that pioneering hybridizers dedicated to the creation of colorful new lilies were at work in our own province of Saskatchewan. Dr. C. F. Patterson had started a breeding program at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon as early as the mid 1930's. In the forties and fifties, Jean Ericksen of Wauchope and Dr. Bert Porter of Parkside near Prince Albert, also became involved in this challenging venture of hardy lily development. My first contact with Dr. Patterson came in the 1950's as a result of our Agriculture Department urging gardeners who were experiencing problems in horticulture, to submit questions to Dr. Patterson whose hardy fruits and plants were attracting considerable attention. Although my initial correspondence with him was of this type, it was his beautiful pink lilies that fascinated me more than any other flower I had ever grown.Dr. Patterson had ingenuously incorporated the genes of Lilium cernuum with the Asiatic species and hybrid groups, eventually producing some pink and also white hybrids. 'Edith Cecilia' as many of us know, registered in 1944 and introduced by the Horticultural Department in 1952, has featured in the lineage of a great many of our present day lilies. In the same period, 'Rose Dawn', 'Pink Charm', 'Rose Queen', 'Rosalind' and a bit later the beautiful pastel, tri-colored 'Orchid Queen' were introduced. Others followed in quick succession. When the Queen visited Regina in the late fifties she was presented with a bouquet of 'Orchid Queen' lilies no less!As the availability of hardy lilies increased, so did the numbers in my garden. Lawn areas gave way to lily beds in both back and front yards. It was inevitable that my enthusiasm would culminate in a desire to share this pleasure with others. How could this best be accomplished?For some time I had the idea that a vehicle for furthering growing of lilies and to increase my own knowledge about their culture, would be the formation of a society in our own region. I already had memberships in North American Lily Society (NALS) and the Canadian Prairie Lily Society (CPLS), but the great distance of our area from the latter made active participation in the Saskatoon based society, problematic.However, when realism takes over from idealism many practical problems present themselves. How is one to find out who is interested in the idea? What would be the best way to publicize the forming of a society? Fortunately a break through came in the summer of, 1991 when I visited Jean Ericksen at her home in Wauchope, Saskatchewan. The answer to my dilemma came when she informed me that yes, she knew of' a Lily grower, Maia Shaw of Lumsden who was growing lilies extensively. My anticipation soared to great heights! Here was a beginning!

After contacting Maia we agreed to begin by recruiting members at the Regina Horticultural Society meeting in January 1992. That resulted in a number of people joining. At our organizational meeting, we decided to make a request for affiliation with the already existing Canadian Prairie Lily Society. Negotiations to this effect, however, ran into a roadblock, as there were no provisions in their by-laws to accommodate us as affiliates. A decision was then made to choose a name and apply to be incorporated as a separate society. Maia's husband, Leslie Shaw, a lawyer at City Hall, facilitated the incorporation and so our South Saskatchewan Lily Society became a reality in May 1992 with a membership of about a dozen people."After some consideration, we decided the best way to convince people that beautiful lilies could be grown in southern Saskatchewan was to stage a show."

It was decided that a busy shopping mall would offer the best exposure to a maximum number of people. We realized of course that this would entail raising money for ribbons, awards and the hiring of judges and for other expenses, First we decided to visit the various plant nurseries and retail gardens in and around Regina to solicit donations. My husband later joked that I had spent more money for gas for my car than the actual amount of the donations, but as we left posters at each place, the publicity was worth the effort. An interview on a local TV Talk Show was arranged as well and announcements were placed in Newspapers.

Much planning went into this show by just a few people. To make the event an especially memorable one, we planned special awards in recognition of the hybridizing work being done by prominent Western Canadian hybridizers. The Grand Champion Lily trophy was presented in honor of Mrs. Jean Ericksen who had been instrumental in bringing together Maia Shaw and me, both determined lily enthusiasts and of the same mind forming, a regional society. Jean also gave her moral support by attending our show. Another trophy was awarded for the best Patterson hybrid. Rosettes were presented to honor: Percy H. Wright, Dr. A. J. Porter, Fred Tarlton, Fred Fellner and Dr. Frank Skinner. The organizational work, though arduous, turned out to be the least of our worries since the spring, and summer were cool and we feared most of our lilies would not be ready by show time. To make matters worse, a damaging frost occurred on May 26, but luckily did not strike all areas with equal severity. However, it did necessitate a great deal of phoning to urge people to bring even their slightly less than perfect specimens to the show.

The results of our efforts exceeded all expectations. Rescue operations came from several sources outside our own vicinity. Herb Sunley of Saskatoon, who has consistently been our mentor, offered his support and expertise to Judge the show. Diann Putland of Churchbridge brought stems and some very appealing decorative arrangements. Oh yes, and also an Ironing board for pressing her niche drapery. This appliance she placed at a plug-in near the drugstore. What a hive of activity emerged! Even during our preparations we were attracting attention, as amused people were perplexed about our strange and mysterious activities. It was gratifying that people outside our area showed solidarity with us by contributing lilies. Jim Sullivan of Saskatoon brought a colorful assortment of florets of' his own hybridizing work. Del Knowlton of Lindel Lilies of' Langley, B.C. whom I had contacted by phone, sent us a dozen magnificent stems of' trumpets and Orientals. These we placed on a table in a showy area to attract people's attention, as they were so strikingly beautiful.

"After all the frustration and anxieties, the show turned out to be a spectacular success!"

Our own members too, produced a surprising display of stems and arrangements. As organizers of Regina's first ever lily show we were amply rewarded for our efforts. After all the frustration and anxieties, the show turned out to be a spectacular success!

You may wonder how our Lily society has progressed since its founding years ago. I am happy to be able to report that we have continued to grow both in memberships and activities. It is amazing, how our members have rallied to further the alms of our society. We presently have a membership of close to one hundred. In addition to our annual show, we carry on an educational program engaging prominent knowledgeable people to conduct seminars on both lilies and other aspects of horticulture. A Judging, School was held in 1993 with Dr. Wilbert Ronald as instructor. A number of our members are now accredited judges of NALS and some of us attend the yearly shows.

Our fall and spring bulb sales provide opportunities for people to get into lily growing and also supply our members with new and different lilies. We publish a quarterly bulletin, which informs members of our regional activities as well as providing educational material. Our latest project is a Historical Garden located at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Depot grounds. This garden features heritage lilies arranged in plots according to hybridizers, as well as more recent hybrids and other ornamentals. It is open to visitors all summer and is sure to promote lily growing. Our own gardens too, attract many people during the months of June and July.

From small beginnings, we have managed to successfully carry out our original purpose of interesting people in growing lilies for enjoyment as well as providing information pertaining to Lily culture. Hybridizing by members is encouraged and instruction provided. Offering assistance with the up coming 1998 NALS show sponsored by CPLS in Saskatoon is also being considered. Financially we are in good shape. We are planning to make a donation towards the lily genetic research and polyploidy counts being carried on at the University of Saskatchewan. The formation and development of our South Saskatchewan Lily Society for the purpose of promoting the genus Lilium has been for us a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Memorial - Maia Shaw

Maia Shaw was a founding member of the South Saskatchewan Lily Society. She was a mentor for the development and education of its membership. She served on the executive where she held the post of president and newsletter editor. Maia also served on the executive of NALS encouraging its membership through leadership in ‘Advertising and Public Relations.Maia led by example as her unique garden contained a large variety of plants. Maia was a generous hostess sharing her knowledge, plants and refreshments.Sympathy is extended to her husband and sons.